Smart selection methods with groups

When you select objects for a command with the smart selection options and groups, the entities that the command operates on depends on:

• The valid entity types for the command.

• The option that you select from the Method list on the Top Border bar.

Valid entity types

To display the valid entity types for a command, open the dialog box for the command, and on the Top Border bar, set Method to No method, and examine the entity types listed in the Type Filter.

The options available in the Method list depend on the valid entity types for the command. For example, nodes are the only valid entity type for the Node Translate command. The available Method options are Nodes by Group, Related Nodes, Feature Angle Nodes, and Feature Edge Nodes.

For the Pressure command, the valid entity types include Element Face, Mesh, and Polygon Face. Thus, for the Pressure command, more Method options are available than for the Node Translate command.

Each of the options in the Method list acts on the valid entities.

Selecting entities using the Method list

The options in the Method list can be categorized into four different methods for selecting entities from groups. Use the option that selects the entities you want.

• Select entities using by group options from the Method list.

• Select entities using related options from the Method list.

• Select entities using feature options from the Method list.

• Select entities using the other options on the Method list.

Select entities using by group options from the Method list

When you select options such as Nodes by Group, Faces by Group, Edges by Group, and so on from the Method list, the command operates on the valid entities that are explicitly defined in the group. For example, when you select the Nodes by Group option, only nodes that are explicitly defined in the group are selected.

Select entities using related options from the Method list

When you select options such as Related Nodes, Related Faces, Related Edges, and so from the Method list, the command operates on the valid entities that are implicitly defined in the group as a result of their relationship to parent or child entities that are explicitly defined in the group. For example, when you select the Related Nodes option, all of the nodes that are related to elements that are explicitly defined in the group are selected. Nodes that are explicitly defined in the group are not selected unless they are related to a parent entity that is explicitly defined in the group.

Select entities using feature options from the Method list

When you select options such as Feature Element Edges, Feature Angle Nodes, Tangent Continuous Edges, and so on from the Method list, the software performs sequential operations to obtain the entities on which the command operates.

1. The software creates a set of the valid entities that are explicitly defined in the group. For example, when you select Feature Element Edges, the software selects all of the element edges that are explicitly defined in the group. When you select Feature Angle Nodes, the software selects all of the element faces that are explicitly defined in the group.

2. To this set, the software applies the feature method criteria to each entity that is selected in the first step to obtain the set of entities on which the command operates.

The following table lists all of this type of smart selector options with the corresponding valid entity type that must be present in a group in order to select the group, and the type of entities on which the command operates.

Method list option	Required valid entity type in group	Entity type on which the command operates
Feature Angle Nodes	Element faces	Nodes
Feature Edge Nodes	Element edges	Nodes
Feature Element Edges	Element edges	Element edges
Feature Angle Elements	Element faces	Elements
Feature Angle Element Faces	Element faces	Element faces
Tangent Faces	Polygon faces	Polygon faces
Tangent Continuous Edges	Polygon edges	Polygon edges

Select entities using the other options on the Method list

When you select options such as Circular Edges, Adjacent Faces, Hole Element Edges, and so on from the Method list, the software performs sequential operations to obtain the entities on which the command operates.

1. The software creates a set of valid entities that are explicitly defined in the group, plus valid entities that are implicitly defined in the group by virtue of their relationship to parent entities that are explicitly defined in the group. For example, when you select Circular Edges, the software selects all of the circular polygon edges that are explicitly defined in the group, plus any circular polygon edges that are related to polygon faces and polygon bodies that are explicitly defined in the group.

2. To this set, the software applies the feature method criteria to each entity that is selected in the first step to obtain the set of entities on which the command operates.

The following table lists all of this type of smart selector options with the corresponding valid attach entity type that must be present in a group in order to select the group, and the type of entities on which the command operates.

Method option	Required valid entity type in group	Entity type on which the command operates
Circular Edges	Polygon edges, faces, and bodies	Polygon edge
Adjacent Faces	Polygon faces and bodies	Polygon faces
Fillet Faces	Polygon faces and bodies	Polygon faces
Cylinder Faces	Polygon faces and bodies	Polygon faces
Sliver Faces	Polygon faces and bodies	Polygon faces
Hole Element Edges	Meshes and element edges	Element edges

Note:

As a best practice, do not use the Connected Edges and Connected Element Edges smart selection options with groups as they may lead to unpredictable results.

Node Translate command examples

• To operate on the nodes that are explicitly defined in the group only, do the following:With the Node Translate dialog box open, on the Top Border bar, from the Method list, select Nodes by Group.In the Simulation Navigator, expand the Groups folder and select the group on which you want the command to operate.If the group contains nodes, the number of nodes in the group appears in the Select Node option.To select another group, repeat step 2.If the group contains nodes, they are included in the total that appears in the Select Node option.

• To operate on the nodes that are implicitly defined in the group as a result of their relationship to parent entities that are explicitly defined in the group, do the following:With the Node Translate dialog box open, on the Top Border bar, from the Method list, select Related Nodes.In the Simulation Navigator, expand the Groups folder and select the group on which you want the command to operate.If the group contains parent entities, the number of nodes related to the parent entities appears in the Select Node option. However, any nodes that are explicitly defined in the group are not included in the selection, unless they are also related to a parent entity in the group.To select another group, repeat step 2.If the group contains parent entities, the number of nodes related to the parent entities are included in the total that appears in the Select Node option.

Force command examples

• To operate on the nodes, polygon edges, or polygon faces that are explicitly defined in the group only, do the following:With the Force dialog box open, on the Top Border bar, from the Method list, select Nodes by Group, Edges by Group, or Faces by Group.In the Simulation Navigator, expand the Groups folder and select the group on which you want the command to operate.If you selected Nodes by Group and the group contains nodes, the number of nodes in the group appears in the Select Object option.If you selected Edges by Group and the group contains polygon edges, the number of polygon edges in the group appears in the Select Object option.If you selected Faces by Group and the group contains polygon faces, the number of polygon faces in the group appears in the Select Object option.To select another group, repeat step 2.If the group contains entities of the same type, they are included in the total that appears in the Select Object option.

• To operate on the nodes, polygon edges, or polygon faces that are implicitly defined in the group by virtue of their relationship to parent entities that are explicitly defined in the group, do the following:With the Force dialog box open, on the Top Border bar, from the Method list, select Related Nodes, Related Faces or Related Edges.In the Simulation Navigator, expand the Groups folder and select the group on which you want the command to operate.If the group contains parent entities, the number of nodes, polygon edges, or polygon faces related to the parent entities appears in the Select Object option. However, the following entities are excluded from the selection, unless they are also related to a parent entity in the group.If you selected Related Nodes, any nodes that are explicitly defined in the group are not included in the selection.If you selected Related Edges, any polygon edges that are explicitly defined in the group are not included in the selection.If you selected Related Faces, any polygon faces that are explicitly defined in the group are not included in the selection.To select another group, repeat step 2.If the group contains parent entities, the number of objects related to the parent entities are included in the total that appears in the Select Object option.

Show Only model preparation command examples

• To operate on entities that are explicitly defined in the group only, do the following:With the Show Only dialog box open, on the Top Border bar, from the Method list, select By Group.In the Simulation Navigator, expand the Groups folder and select the group on which you want the command to operate.If the group contains elements, meshes, polygon faces, or polygon bodies, the number of these entities in the group appears in the Show Only option.To select another group, repeat step 2.If the group contains elements, meshes, polygon faces, or polygon bodies, they are included in the total that appears in the Show Only option.

• To operate on the elements that are implicitly defined in the group by virtue of their relationship to nodes that are explicitly defined in the group:With the Show Only dialog box open, on the Top Border bar, from the Method list, select Related Elements.On the Top Border bar, from the Type Filter list, select Node.In the Simulation Navigator, expand the Groups folder and select the group on which you want the command to operate.If the group contains nodes, the number of elements related to the nodes appears in the Show Only option. However, any elements that are explicitly defined in the group are not included in the selection, unless they are also related to a node in the group.To select another group, repeat step 3.If the group contains nodes, the number of elements related to the nodes are included in the total that appears in the Show Only option.

• To operate on the polygon faces that are implicitly defined in the group by virtue of their relationship to polygon bodies that are explicitly defined in the group:With the Show Only dialog box open, on the Top Border bar, from the Method list, select Related Faces.On the Top Border bar, from the Type Filter list, select Polygon Body.In the Simulation Navigator, expand the Groups folder and select the group on which you want the command to operate.If the group contains polygon bodies, the number of polygon faces related to the polygon bodies appears in the Show Only option. However, any polygon faces that are explicitly defined in the group are not included in the selection, unless they are also related to a polygon body in the group.To select another group, repeat step 3.If the group contains polygon bodies, the number of polygon faces related to the polygon bodies are included in the total that appears in the Show Only option.

How do I

Create a group by manually selecting the contents

Create a group automatically from an element quality check

Create groups with the Automatic Group command

Copy a group

Edit a group

Apply a force to the entities in an existing group

Use groups to control model visibility

Learn more

Groups

Automatic group command

Group Elements by Boundary

Creating new groups from existing groups using Boolean operations

Group selection options

Controlling the display of nodes in groups

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Smart selection methods with groups, Simcenter 3D 2021.1 Series

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